


Wrong Blind Date

by Zephyr0



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, M/M, Some Fluff, and just a pinch of angst i think?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-13
Updated: 2019-08-13
Packaged: 2020-08-20 15:24:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,873
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20230081
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zephyr0/pseuds/Zephyr0
Summary: After both of their blind dates fail to show up, Arthur and Alfred decide to have dinner together instead.





	Wrong Blind Date

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! Thanks for deciding to check out this fic! I hope you enjoy reading!

Arthur sighed as he leaned back in his chair and flipped his menu open. He had a blind date tonight, which had been organised by his 'friend' Francis Bonnefoy. The two were co-workers, apparently. Arthur only agreed to go on the date just to shut Francis up. Sure, Arthur was secretly interested in romance, but he would _never _admit it to anyone, _especially _not to Francis.

Still, he showed up ten minutes early. Showing up late was ungentlemanly, after all. Upon arriving, a pretty hostess led Arthur to a small empty table next to a large window displaying the traffic. It was dark outside, the street illuminated in a yellow glow by the lampposts. Cars and taxis stood like dominoes fading into the horizon, with window wipers snapping back and forth and golden headlights beaming through the rain's mist. 

Arthur checked his watch and frowned. His date was late. Where was she? He took out his phone—a Blackberry he had since high school—and checked his messages. Nothing. Sighing again, he placed his phone down onto the table. He read through the menu again for the third time. It was a little hard to read, due to the restaurant's low lighting. The choices were mediocre, but he supposed he'd order some roasted lamb with potatoes and vegetables. 

A waitress approached, clutching an iPad and asking if he'll like to order, but he turned her away, explaining his date hadn't shown. She smiled and nodded, tucking the iPad underneath her arm as she shuffled away. Arthur watched as she weaved in between the tables, most of which were full of chatting, flirting couples. Waiters and waitresses rushed to and fro, carrying silver trays choking under the weight of dishes and glasses. The murmur of voices and cutlery clanging against plates waffled around Arthur. 

He straightened his tie, his stomach twisting with butterflies. He had to admit, with the burning candles and the low-lit room, and with the pristine white tablecloths draping over the tables, that the restaurant Francis picked was pretty romantic. Not like Arthur would ever admit it, of course. 

Only a couple minutes passed. Arthur huffed, crossing his arms. Where was his date? His stomach knotted a little tighter, and his mouth turned dry. He wished he had asked for some table water. 

Eventually, his phone buzzed. Heart jumping into his throat, he picked up his phone and gazed at his screen. His date explained that she got too caught up in work, and forgot about their date. His phone buzzed again with another text: a lengthy apology.

Arthur ran a hand through his hair. Oh well, it couldn't be helped. He slipped his phone back into his pocket, about to leave, but then some movement near the front of the restaurant caught his eye.

Glancing up, his eyes fell on a tall, blond man marching towards the hostess. Arthur frowned, unsure why this man had caught his attention. The two spoke for a couple of seconds, grinning and laughing before the man scanned the restaurant. He glanced in Arthur's direction, gave a nod to the hostess, and strode past her.

Arthur shook his head. He stood, slipping out from the table and pushing his chair in. He noticed the man weaving in between the tables, still heading in Arthur's direction.

Arthur looked around him, frowning. Maybe the man was meeting one of the other diners? 

"Hey!" The man stopped just short of Arthur, holding out his hand. "It's great to finally meet you, dude!" 

Arthur's mouth fell open. "I... Sorry?"

"Sorry I'm late," the man said, grabbing the chair opposite to Arthur's, pulled it out, and sat down. "I got lost because Google Maps sent me some weird alley, and then my phone died on me so I had to ask," the man scratched the back of his neck, "for directions." 

Arthur wasn't aware that the man had spoken until he fell silent, gazing at Arthur expectedly. Heat rushed through Arthur's face and he coughed awkwardly, glancing away. 

"Ah... I'm sorry, but I think you've got the wrong person," he said. 

The man tilted his head. "What do you mean? You're my date."

Arthur shook his head, realising that this man must've also been on a blind date, too. "No, you're mistaken... I was meant to meet someone here, but... she cancelled. Sorry, it's not me."

The man frowned, looking even more confused. "But... aren't you Ivan?"

"No, I'm not, sorry. My name is Arthur. Arthur Kirkland."

"Oh." The man's face fell. "Never mind, then." He turned, glancing around the restaurant. "Huh?" He narrowed his eyes, and then a look of horror crossed his face. "Oh, shit..." 

This time, it was _Arthur's _turn to be confused. "Is everything okay?"

The man glanced back at Arthur, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm... I'm five minutes late. He's not here... maybe he left? Oh, jesus." The man dropped his head into his hands and ran his fingers through his hair. "I feel so bad right now..."

"Well, you can apologise, I suppose."

"But my phone's dead!" The man glanced back at Arthur, looking distraught. "I didn't mean to stand him up!"

"Well, what's done is done." Arthur shrugged. "Or maybe he's running late, too? You _did _say you were only five minutes late. I doubt he would've just left."

"Maybe you're right..." The man glanced around the restaurant again. His head was bowed, and he fidgeted with his sloppily-done tie. It looked as if the man had just tied it into a simple knot before giving up. Despite the tie, he looked rather attractive. He was dressed in a nice tuxedo, and his hair was neatly gelled, apart from a single cowlick sticking up from his head. 

"So, what are you planning on doing?" Arthur asked. 

"I... I dunno." The man glanced back around the restaurant. He shifted in his chair, his hands gripping his knees. "Uh... do you think I should wait to see if my date shows up?"

"You could do that." Arthur pulled out his chair and sat back down, grabbing a menu. 

The man turned back to face Arthur, looking sideways. "Uh... you don't mind if I sit here?"

Arthur shook his head. "No, it's fine. As I said, my date cancelled."

"Oh. Well, thanks." The man chuckled, brightening a little. He gave Arthur a small smile. Arthur stared, his breath catching in his throat. 

The man's smile was beautiful.

He cleared his throat, flushing and looking away.

The two fell silent. The man studied the menu, his blue eyes narrowed. Arthur sat with his arms crossed, staring at the table. He kept glancing up every so often, feeling as if the weight of the man's gaze was on him, but the man never looked at him. 

After a moment, the man snapped the menu closed. He looked around the restaurant again. Arthur opened his mouth, thinking that the man was still worried about his date. The two sat in silence for around twenty minutes. The man kept looking around every so often, biting his lip.

"He's not going to show up, is he?" The man broke the silence, his face downcast. "Maybe he really _did _leave."

"Or maybe he's stood _you _up," Arthur said. 

The man looked back at him. "Is... is it alright if we eat together, then?"

Arthur nodded. "As long as we split the bill, that's fine."

A small smile crossed the man's face, and he stuck up his hand so he could get his order taken. 

The same waitress from before hurried over to take their order on her iPad. As she left, Arthur turned back to the man. "Ah... I don't believe I caught your name."

"Ah shit!" The man jolted and barked out a laugh. "Sorry, I must've forgotten. I'm Alfred. Alfred F. Jones." He paused, and then a smirk crossed his face. "You don't need to worry. I'll be sure to keep you entertained tonight." And then he winked. 

Arthur blinked slowly, and then the realisation of Alfred's words flooded through him. His heart stuttered, and his face grew bright red. "I... what are you... that..."

Alfred snorted with laughter again, as if Arthur's suffering was somehow amusing. Arthur scowled in response, his eyes narrowing into a glare. Alfred laughed even harder, pushing back on his chair, almost toppling over. 

"Idiot," Arthur muttered. 

"God..." Alfred rubbed away the tears in his eyes. "Your eyebrows look so funny when you're pissed."

_"What?" _Arthur flinched, reaching up and covering his forehead. His bushy eyebrows were still a bit of a sore spot for him, after being bullied for them all through high school. 

Alfred shook his head. "But hey, I guess tonight still worked out well, huh? I'm having dinner with a hot guy." He leaned forward, still smirking. "Can I say you have the most beautiful green eyes?"

"It's _may, _not can!" Arthur ignored the compliments. God, this was _humiliating. _Here he was, meant to keep his cool, and some random flirting from the other man was making this _very _difficult. It didn't help with Alfred's _stupidly attractive_ face, too!

"Alright," the man said, his voice a little lower. _"May _I say you have the most beautiful green eyes, then?"

Arthur coughed and looked away, his throat dry. He wished the food would come _now, _so he could stare at it and do his best to avoid thinking about the weight of Alfred's gaze. But not wanting to be rude, he stammered out, "Ah, uh, yes, thank you." And knowing it will also be rude not to compliment the man in return, he added, "And you're eyes are quite nice, too."

Alfred let out an awkward laugh. He leaned forward, awkwardly trying to throw his arm around Arthur's shoulders. Instead, he almost slammed Arthur's head into the table instead. "Uh, thanks, dude!" Gritting his teeth, Arthur pulled himself free of Alfred's grasp. He leaned back, fixing his tuxedo jacket. 

"Yes..." Arthur glanced away, feeling butterflies in his stomach again. He crossed his legs, drumming his fingers against the table.

"Uh... I'm really sorry to bother you..." 

They both flinched. The waitress stood next to them, clutching a tray of drinks. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other and avoided both of their gazes. With a jolt, Arthur realised she had been standing there for a while. He flushed, gritting his teeth as he reached up, snatching his glass of soda from the tray before the waitress could grab it.

Meanwhile, Alfred chuckled as if nothing was wrong. "Oh yeah! Man, those sure came out quickly!" He accepted the coke from the waitress. The waitress hurried away, still not looking at them. 

_She heard everything. _Arthur wished the ground would open right then and swallow him; he busied himself by taking a sip of his soda. The coldness of the soda burned his throat and he wiped his hands on his trousers, which were a little damp from clutching the glass. Alfred took the straw between his mouth and slurped loudly. The ice in his glass clinked against each other.

"So, uh, what do you do for a living?" Arthur asked, eventually, his eyes still peeled to the table. 

"I'm an engineer," Alfred said. "My ex-boyfriend's been nagging me to go on a date, so I let him organise one." At Arthur's surprise, Alfred chuckled. "I suppose I still try keeping in contact with people I've dated. I dunno, feels kinda cold to just ignore them. Though most of them ignore me." He let out an awkward laugh. "But then again, Francis and I only dated for a couple of weeks. We're mostly just acquaintances now."

_Francis? What a coincidence, _Arthur thought. 

"Do you think there's anywhere I can charge my phone in here?" Alfred reached into his pocket and pulled out the latest iPhone model. 

"Just ask."

"Okay." Alfred leapt to his feet, waving his hands in the air. A waitress standing nearby came over, and Alfred asked her his question. She smiled and nodded, taking him to a small cabinet nearby that was full of spare cutlery and plates, all while telling him there was a couple of charges in one of the drawers.

"That was really lucky," Arthur said, as Alfred returned. It was nice for the restaurant to keep spare phone chargers. 

"Yeah." Alfred settled back down. "So, what about you? What do you do for a living?"

"I work for a publishing firm."

"Really? So you're into books?"

Arthur nodded. "Well, I'm into fantasy in general."

"Oh! That's cool! I like steampunk stuff! But I'm more of a sci-fi person, I suppose, and I like movies more than books."

They continued getting to know each other as they waited for the food to arrive. Arthur learnt Alfred had a twin brother called Matthew, who could play a mean game of ice hockey. Alfred loved space, superheroes, eating hamburgers, and he also had an interest in archeology. 

And Alfred seemed pretty eager to hear what Arthur had to say. As Arthur spoke about his hobbies, Alfred leaned forward, wearing that charming smile that Arthur couldn't look away from. It sent his stomach on a rollercoaster. 

Their meals eventually arrived. Alfred gobbled his up and started wondering aloud if they should get desert. Arthur was happy to listen to Alfred ramble as he ate slower. And he continued listening to Alfred's rambling, long after finishing their meals. 

Eventually, Alfred looked around the restaurant again. "So, I guess my date never showed up, huh?" 

Arthur frowned. Had Alfred been thinking about his date during their dinner? He was surprised at the small prickle of jealousy in his belly. 

"I still feel pretty bad," Alfred continued. "I owe him one hell of an apology. I should text him, my phone's probably fully charged by now. Uh, you don't mind, right?"

Arthur shook his head. "Be my guest."

Alfred nodded in gratitude, before hurrying over to where his phone was charging. He walked back to the table, frowning down at it. 

"So uh..." Alfred grinned at Arthur sheepishly. "Ivan cancelled. He sent a text I never saw. I think he must've sent it sometime after my phone died."

"Well, that's lucky." Arthur leaned back in his chair. 

"Yeah." Alfred sat back down, beaming. "I feel so free now."

Arthur smiled. "I'm glad to hear it."

Alfred stared at Arthur, his face turning red. 

Arthur frowned, noticing Alfred's face. "Are you alright? Are you running a fever or something?" He leaned forward to touch Alfred's face, but then Alfred knocked Arthur's hand away, laughing awkwardly.

"Nah, I'm fine! What makes you say that?" 

"You look ill. You should go home."

"What?" Alfred looked taken aback. His face had gone back to its normal colouring. A little strange. "I'm not sick."

"But your face was red." 

At this, Alfred's face flushed again, and he looked away. "Could... do you mind if we please don't talk about that?"

Arthur's frown deepened. What was Alfred talking about? Sighing, he decided to let the subject slide. 

"You should still rest, though. Maybe take the day off tomorrow?"

"I thought we weren't talking about that?"

"Fine." Arthur sighed.

The two were silent for a moment, Arthur picking at his leftover food, whilst Alfred stared at his glass. The colour was back on his face again, and he avoided looking at Arthur.

"So, uh..." Alfred's voice was low and he sounded a little uncertain. "Did you... want to have dinner again sometime?"

Arthur blinked, thrown. "Again?"

"You don't have to say yes!" Alfred laughed awkwardly, shaking his head. "We could do lunch or breakfast instead, if you like. Maybe we'll go to McDonalds."

"McDonalds?" _That _was Alfred's first choice? "How romantic."

"You... you think so?" Alfred gazed at him, his face growing redder. 

Ah, so Alfred didn't understand sarcasm. But still, Arthur didn't have the heart to tell him. "Maybe not McDonalds. A place like this, though, would be fine." He coughed, glancing away. 

"Uh, great!" Alfred forced out another laugh again. He gave Arthur another one of his beautiful smiles, which made Arthur's breath catch in his throat. He stared at Alfred, heart thumping, and a warm feeling blooming inside his chest. He couldn't look away. 

The two continued talking for a while until Arthur realised it was getting late, and the restaurant was now mostly empty. The waiters and waitresses busied themselves by wiping down tables and drying cutlery. Arthur stretched and stumbled to his feet, glancing down at Alfred. 

"I should go," he said. 

Alfred stumbled to his feet, grabbing Arthur's arm. "I'll come with you." 

The two split the bill and left the restaurant, walking by each other's sides. They stood a couple of inches apart, their hands almost brushing. The cold night air whipped around them, making Arthur shiver. Even though it had stopped raining, the pavement was still wet and the heavy smell of rain hung in the air. The hum of traffic filled the silence between them.

"God, it's freezing." Alfred shivered, rubbing his hands together. He looked at Arthur. "Did you want to come home with me tonight?"

Arthur took a step back. "Huh?" Go back to Alfred's? His face flushed and his heart did a somersault. Was that meant to mean anything? Was he just trying to be polite? Or did they really go on a date? Was Alfred interested?

"Oh." Alfred laughed shakily, looking a little crestfallen. Arthur's breath caught in his throat. Maybe... maybe Alfred _was _interested. Nah, that couldn't be it. "Never mind, then. I... did you want to exchange numbers, then?"

"Um, okay..." Arthur took out his phone, his hands shaking. After exchanging numbers, the two were quiet again, watching the traffic drift past. 

"I'll let you know when I'm free, I guess." Alfred slipped his phone back into his pocket. "You sure you'll be okay going home by yourself?"

Arthur nodded. "Thank you for tonight. It... it was lovely. Thank you. I really enjoyed myself." His cheeks burned as he spoke, and he chastised himself for acting like a high schooler with a crush. 

Alfred's mouth twisted into a smile. "Oh thank god. I'm glad you enjoyed it. I did, too." He took a step closer to Arthur. Their eyes met and Alfred gulped, his Adam's apple bobbing. He took another step. And another. As he drew closer and closer, Arthur's heart rocketed into his throat as he stared back into Alfred's blue eyes.

And then Alfred wrapped his arms around Arthur and pulled him into a hug. 

At first, Arthur felt disappointment well up inside him—_disappointment? _But that quickly faded when he realised how _nice _it felt being in Alfred's arms. Alfred was a little taller and more muscular, and with his arms wrapped around Arthur's shoulder blades, Arthur felt warmer. His face flushed as he, hesitating, also wrapped his arms around Alfred.

_What am I doing? _He thought, shaking his head. His heart raced so fast he was worried Alfred might somehow feel it—if he did, though, Alfred didn't comment about it. Instead, Alfred just continued hugging Arthur for another whole minute, refusing to let go.

"Uh, Alfred?" Had... had Alfred somehow dozed off? Arthur didn't know why that made any sense since he would've felt Alfred's weight on him. Maybe it was the near-proximity of his new... friend? _Crush? _He felt hyper-aware of his own body. 

_Oh God, I really am acting like a high schooler with a crush. _He groaned, before repeating, "Alfred?"

"Huh?" That seemed to draw Alfred out of his trance. He flinched and backed away, so quickly he tripped and toppled backwards, letting out a yelp.

"Alfred!" Arthur rushed closer, crouching beside him. Alfred sat back on the ground, rubbing his back and wincing. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Still wincing, he stumbled back to his feet. "You don't have to worry about me!" He flashed Arthur one of his sunny smiles.

Arthur sighed. "Well, I'm glad to hear it."

The two were quiet for a moment before Alfred broke the silence and said, "Sorry for hugging you for that long, bro." He forced out a chuckle. 

"Ah..." Arthur's shoulders slumped, his face falling a little. He turned away, not wanting Alfred to notice. A sinking feeling grew inside him; he was right. Alfred wasn't interested. Why would he be? The two only just met that evening, after all. 

"Is something wrong?" Arthur could feel the weight of Alfred's gaze on him. He didn't turn back around, and instead, he shook his head. 

"No, I'm just tired."

"You sure you'll be fine going back by yourself?"

"Yes." 

Alfred was quiet for a moment, then he said, "Alright. I'll see you later, Arthur." 

Footsteps sounded behind Arthur, sounding closer and closer. Alfred tapped him on the shoulder. "Are you sure you're okay?"

Arthur nodded and forced a smile to cross his face. "Yes, I'm fine."

Alfred stared at him, his face softening. "You know," he said after a moment, toeing the ground and standing with hands in his pockets. "You should smile more often. I was thinking that back inside there." He beckoned towards the restaurant. 

Arthur frowned. Now, what did that mean? Did Alfred somehow know Arthur was attracted to him, and now was trying to mess with him?

"You know, it feels weird going home from a date without a kiss," Alfred then said, looking sideways. 

Arthur flinched. "Wha..." And before he could finish, Alfred stepped closer, their faces inches apart. 

"I want to kiss you," he said, his eyes locking with Arthur's. 

Arthur stared at him, his face growing hot. "What... what's with the sudden change?"

Alfred frowned. "Huh? What change?"

_Did he... did he forget what he said after we hugged? _

Alfred continued staring at him, confused. "No, seriously, what are you talking about?"

"You don't remember?"

"Remember what?"

"After you hugged me..."

"Huh?" Alfred continued looking confused. "Why wouldn't I want to kiss you? We were just on a date. And I wanted to hug you."

_Date? _Arthur's breath hitched. Maybe he was overthinking things. Or reading things the wrong way. And judging by the way Alfred looked at him with soft eyes, it seemed as if his interest was genuine...

_Fuck it. _Arthur leaned forward and kissed Alfred. It was just a simple one; no tongues, but Arthur still shuddered and shifted closer to Alfred, reaching up and wrapping his arms around Alfred. Alfred's fingers brushed through Arthur's hair. 

_This feels so nice, _Arthur thought, the same warm feeling returning. He smiled, his heart doing flips in his chest. When they drew apart, Alfred cupped Arthur's face in his hands and grinned. His face was flushed, his eyes alight. Arthur could feel his warm breath tickling his cheeks—his breath smelt like coke.

"Well, I'll text you tomorrow, Arthur!" He pulled away from Arthur, waving and marching away with a skip in his step, tipping over a crack in the ground. 

Arthur chuckled at the sight, his cheeks still flushed and the warm feeling in his chest. He watched as Alfred left his sight, and he found himself looking forward to whenever he would next see Alfred. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading. Comments/kudos are appreciated


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